Washington (Platts)--29Mar2013/511 pm EDT/2111 GMT

Natural gas production in the US Lower-48 states in January fell to 72.1 Bcf/d, down 0.9%, or 670,000 Mcf/d, from December's output, the US Energy Information Administration said Friday in its monthly gross production report.

January output was down from a revised 72.77 Bcf/d average production in December, EIA said.

Louisiana had the largest production decrease, with January output falling to 7.18 Bcf/d, 3.8% below a revised December figure of 7.46 Bcf/d in part because of gas plant maintenance, EIA said.

Production in New Mexico and Wyoming also fell 5.2% or 180,000 Mcf/d and 3.2% or 190,000 Mcf/d, respectively, month-on-month as cold weather affected production, the agency said.

Output in "Other States" rose 0.5%, or 130,000 Mcf/d, "as new wells continue to come online in the Marcellus shale play," EIA said.

Total US production was 82 Bcf/d in January, down 0.8% from a revised 82.64 Bcf/d in December, according to EIA.

--Jeff Barber, jeff_barber@platts.com

--Edited by Lisa Miller, lisa_miller@platts.com

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